Vitamins for Kids – Do They Need Them?

Give your kids the healthy head start they need The vitamin and supplement aisles or shelves can be a very overwhelming place for any parent, especially when it comes to deciding which supplements are best for their kids. As much as we would love our children to eat broccoli and salmon, the reality is quite the opposite. Many of our kids are often picky eaters, which can make meeting their nutritional needs a bit more challenging. Our goal, as parents, is to ensure we provide our kids with all the vitamins and minerals needed to thrive and grow through diet alone, optimizing their growing body and minds. The challenge we know is that often-certain circumstances and time constraints make that difficult to achieve… So here are my top recommendations as a Naturopathic Doctor and mom, with two young growing boys, are included here. Multivitamins A good Multi vitamin acts as an insurance policy, filling in the nutritional gaps that many picky eaters may face. Some kids may not be getting the required amounts of vitamins and minerals that a young growing body needs. Additionally, if your child is on any kind of restrictive diet (i.e. dairy or gluten free, vegetarian or vegan for instance) or on certain medications, there may be concern for nutritional values and daily requirements not being met. Try: Kids Multi Vitamin Spray It contains a broad range of vitamins to provide your child with a solid base. It is a quick and effortless way to administer these vitamins and is non-GMO and Gluten free. Make sure you consult with your health care provider if you have any questions about your supplement regimen. Probiotics Supporting your child’s immune system starts in the gut, and a probiotic is a very gentle and effective way to support both gut health and immune function. 70% of our immune system is housed in the gut, so as your child grows, it is important to support their gut flora through a multi strain probiotic. Probiotics have been shown to help with many aspects of a child’s health. Probiotics not only help with immune function, but they can also help with a child’s digestion, helping to limit tummy troubles and regulating their bowel movements, along with improving mood and mental health concerns. Try: Kids Probiotic Chewable Tablets A tasty chewable that is easily provided, even on the go. It’s a great way to help boost immunity and mood/mental health Omega 3s Fish oil. Supporting your child’s cognitive ( brain) health can be done through supplementing with EPA and DHA, both found in a good quality omega 3 fish oil. Obtaining enough Omega 3 through diet alone may be quite difficult for kids who don’t particularly love salmon or other fatty fish, and as a result, many kids aren’t reaching their daily requirements. By supplementing, you ensure that both EPA and DHA are formulated in specific ratios for maximum benefit. For those children who prefer a plant absed option, there is one available. Bonus: Omega 3 also helps with inflammatory concerns such as eczema or other skin conditions commonly seen in children. Try: Kids Liquid Plant-Based DHA This will be helpful for supporting the cognitive function. Many kids are picky when it comes to eating fish so this will help them get the Omega 3s needed for brain/cognitive function. Fish oil is BEST, however if that is not possible, we do have a plant-based option. This is also good for eczema. Calcium and Vitamin D Support your child’s growth, development, bones, and teeth with an excellent quality supplement. In today’s world especially, where people are opting for dairy free diets, it may pose as a challenge to get enough Calcium. Calcium strengthens bone and teeth development while added vitamins and minerals support additional functions in the body. Vitamins D3 & K2 work together to help with calcium absorption. Vitamin D also supports immune function and overall health. Try: Kids Liquid Calcium Plus with Vitamins D3 & K2 With so many people moving away from consuming dairy and kids being fussy with vegetables, they may need this. These are a few of my top recommendations, but of course each individual child’s needs are different and vary depending on their given diet and requirements. If your child is vegetarian, you may think about supplementing with an Iron additionally. As mentioned above, speak to a health care provider about your individual situation, and opt for formulas without added sugars, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavorings or preservatives. Yours in health. Allana Polo, N.D.

What are the various formats kids' supplements come in? Which is best? So, you’ve concluded that you want to provide some nutritional support via supplements to your little ones. Great idea! It’s always valuable to give your kids a healthy head start, especially for picky eaters! The next step – picking out ones that are right for your child. But wait, there are multiple formats kids' supplements come in: liquid, sprays, gummies and chewables. Which one is best? Chewables Chewable vitamins or tablets, are a classic supplement format (who remembers Flintstone vitamins?) that have been around for many years. It's a great option for ages 4 and up, or if a child has difficulty swallowing pills. Aside from being tasty and dissolvable, a major benefit is the fact that chewables can be made with a good density of nutrition. In other words, there is a higher vitamin/mineral content that can be packed into a chewable tablet than a gummy, for example. A downfall of chewables is the sometimes-chalky texture described by some. Recommend if: your child is 4+, does not mind chewing, and you are concerned with amount of nutrition per serving. Liquid Liquid is also popular amongst kids of all ages. Often supplements (or medicine) that are in liquid form are recommended for ages 1-13. In terms of nutrition, liquid is a highly recommended option. The amount of nutrients per serving is generally high, and liquid is touted for being fast absorbing. It’s a great option for kids that do not want to chew on a tablet, swallow a pill, and want to have the supplement given quick and easy. Most liquids are flavoured in kid-friendly flavours, just look out for ingredients such as artificial sweeteners, colours or sugar. Recommend if: your child is above 1, too young for chewables, or you prefer to give them it in a quick and easy format. Spray The spray format is technically liquid as well, except that it comes with a nozzle that is sprayed into the child’s mouth. This is recommended for young children, ages 1-3. This is a fuss-free format where the supplement is easily administered, absorbed and done. There are two drawbacks that need to be considered: If the child is older than 3, the amount of nutrition needed is higher and hence more sprays are needed. Though fun, it’s more economical to buy liquid or chewables at this stage. Some children may squirm at first...it may be a good idea to spray water as practice if your kid flinches. Recommend if: you have a toddler. Gummies Gummy supplements (for both kids and adults) have taken the vitamin world by storm as of recently. For children, as expected, it’s more enticing to have a gummy supplement over other formats (if your child likes candy and chewy textures). However, a drawback that parents must consider is that in order to make it a tasty treat, it’s often also coupled with the things that make gummies a candy – sugars, artificial colours or sweeteners. Because of additives and the format, the amount of nutrition per serving is also lower, so you may need to take 4 gummies to get a serving size similar to liquid or chewables. If the gummy also has sugar added, you can see it can add up as well. Recommend if: your child will not consume any other formats, you do not mind added ingredients (or found one that has none and still tastes great). Which is best? We asked our Registered Holistic Nutritionists to weigh in Chewable tablets are great, as are liquids... and gummies are the most desired by kids. Gummies are a fun idea for kids as they resemble candy and are fun to eat. However, there is some additional “buyer beware” here. Sometimes, gummies do not have the same amount per serving of nutrients and often contain sugar and other ingredients to make it desirable. Consumers should always read the ingredients and labels to be sure of these added ingredients. However, when it comes down to it, kids will eat gummies. So, if parents are struggling with chewables or liquids, it may be an option for parents. Browse our kids supplements to see what we recommend for each age

Support learning, thinking and playing with these 5 tips to choosing the right food for kids Feeding kids healthy foods isn’t always easy. New parents often have grand ideas of what they want their children to eat. But when it comes to finding healthy foods for kids that they’ll actually eat, it can be a completely different story. Parents with pre-teens and teens on the other hand, can be so busy they’re often eating on the run or even missing meals. Nutrition can be very complex, but the good news is it doesn’t have to be. Keeping things simple and focusing on the fundamentals will go a long way to supporting your child’s capacity to learn and perform at school and play. Unfortunately, processed foods and sugary drinks surround our kids at school and in TV ads, promoting the rising tide of childhood weight gain and poor health. Obesity rates in children have tripled over the past 30 years and today over 30% of kids are either overweight or obese. The situation is even worse in adults at a whopping 70%! This coincides with a dramatic increase in sugar intake, as well as an alarming rise in prescriptions for depression and attention deficit disorder in children. Almost every high school cafeteria across the country serves pizza, fries and soda pop. Unfortunately, the food choices that are most easily available (and the cheapest) are processed foods – cereals, burgers, fries, sodas, sport drinks, candy, etc. - that are calorically very-dense, but nutrient poor. To support a healthy body and mind, we need to get our kids back on nutrient-dense whole foods. 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Food for Kids The following are my top 5 tips to help provide your kids with the vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need to think, learn and thrive at school and play. 1. Protein at Every Meal (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) Protein is an essential nutrient, meaning your body cannot make the amino acid building blocks internally and must get them from the diet. Protein helps build red blood cells for energy, immune cells to fight off colds and flu, muscle for overall health and has been shown to support positive mood and reduce behaviour problems. Great options for breakfast include eggs, full-fat plain yogurt, steel-cut oats, nuts and seeds or a protein smoothie. Kids should aim for 20g of protein per meal or about 1-2x the size and thickness of the palm of their hand. Our Enhanced Collagen is great to sneak into your pudding, pasta sauce, as its virtually tasteless and has a high protein content. 2. Increase Healthy Fats Fats are essential for your child’s capacity to learn and thrive at school. If you grew up in the low-fat era of the 1980-90s, it can be difficult to shift gears, but the research here is very clear. Ensuring your child gets their dose of “smart fats” like egg yolks, full-fat dairy (i.e. milk or yogurt), butter or avocado at every meal helps to build a healthy brain and improve learning. Try adding healthy saturated fats like coconut oil into smoothies or cook with extra virgin olive oil to get your kids their daily dose. At least 1-2 “thumb” sizes of fats per meal and don’t worry if you overshoot, kids typically thrive on high “smart” fat diets. 3. Choose Whole Food Carbohydrates Kids need calories to meet the demands of busy days and constant play. The fats mentioned above provide a great source of calories as well as “whole food” carbohydrates like rice, sweet or white potatoes, root vegetables (i.e. beets, carrots, parsnips, etc), oats and whole-grain breads and pastas. If your child has a sensitivity to gluten, modify to gluten-free carbs.) Whole food carbs are also full of fiber to support healthy gut bacteria and keep your child regular. Typically 1-2 “cupped hands” per meal is a good place to start for kids and can be higher depending on their activity level. Do your best to limit processed carbs that come in packages and boxes. 4. Limit Sugar Sugar is not inherently evil, however the levels of sugar added into our food today is quite staggering. The average adult consumes about 160 lb. of sugar per year, (compared to only 40 lb. two generations ago) and kids are following very closely in our foot steps. Sugar is highly palatable, which means our brains naturally crave it and we can eat more and more before we get full. Making things even more challenging, food companies market directly to kids to make their products even more desirable. Limit the amount of added sugar in your child’s diet by cutting back (or cutting out) soda pop, sports drinks, candy, chocolate bars, sugary cereals and sweetened snacks. Try alternatives like replacing regular chocolate bars with dark chocolate (70% or more), choose ice cream made with natural cream (higher in fat), snack on frozen berries or use frozen fruit to make popsicles at home. 5. Limit Processed Foods (i.e. vegetable oils, artificial sweeteners, etc.) It’s not just sugar that is strongly contributing to our nations declining health, it’s also all the processed foods, industrial seed oils, chemical sweeteners and artificial flavourings. You can limit processed foods in your kids diet by shopping on the “outside” of the grocery store, where all the whole foods, fresh veggies and fruit, meat and dairy are located. If you can minimize the middle aisles of the grocery store (i.e. processed foods), you’ll decrease your intake of unhealthy processed foods that contribute to impaired learning, poor behavior and adverse health conditions in children. Kids need the right balance of nutrients to thrive at school and play. Ensuring kids get enough protein, healthy fats and whole food carbs, along with limiting sugars and processed oils, sweeteners and GMOs is a fantastic foundation for health. To make things even simpler, follow this golden rule; if your grandparent could eat it, it’s probably a good choice (if not, do your best to avoid it!). Once you find the right balance, make the time to eat with your kids at least once a day, to make mealtime more than just the food on your plate. Dr. Marc Bubbs ND, CISSN, CSCS Dr. Marc Bubbs ND, CISSN, CSCS Dr. Marc Bubbs is a board certified Naturopathic Doctor, Sports Nutrition Lead for the Canadian Men's Basketball Team, and author of The Paleo Project. Find him on social media @drbubbs